HOW TO GET THE SOFT GRUNGE
MAKEUP LOOK

September 16, 2024 by Cat Quinn
The Clean Girl look had its time in the spotlight, but this season we’re moving toward a moodier aesthetic: soft grunge makeup. Pulling from the enduring appeal of 90s grunge makeup, we’re shifting to cooler shades of black, grey and griege, and nuancing trends like corpcore and quiet luxury for a modern Quiet Grunge look.

“Quiet Grunge feels like where I started at M·A·C — it uses a palette of colours that made M·A·C legendary,” says Terry Barber, M·A·C Creative Director of Makeup Artistry. “This generation is taking the spirit and rebellion of grunge but making it right for them. It can be pretty, punk or everything in between.”

A grunge makeup product that has stood the test of time? Lip Pencil in Stone. “It’s the ultimate grunge colour to me,” says Barber. “There’s been a demand for us to return to some of the original 90s colours, which have a little bit more of a grey tone,” he continues, pointing to other Lip Pencil shades dropping this month, such as Greige.

Paired with the newly relaunched M·A·C Satin Lipstick in Blankety and the cool-toned Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite, you have all the ingredients for a Quiet Grunge look – the secret is in the undone application. “There’s a change in the structure when it comes to grunge,” says Barber. “Instead of doing a flicked-up cat eye, bring the liner straight out toward the temple to make it more punk.”

The most freeing part about grunge makeup? It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, that’s the whole point. “That spirit of grunge changed how people wore things,” says Barber. “It’s not a new trend – it’s a trend reimagined.”
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Lip Pencil
CA $32.00
A pencil in a wide range of colours designed for shaping, lining or filling in lips.
M·A·CXIMAL SLEEK SATIN LIPSTICK
CA $33.00
A sleek satin lipstick with full-coverage, pigment-rich colour in a comfortable formula that hydrates lips for eight hours.
Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite
CA $42.00
A smoky-toned six-pan eye shadow palette with pigment packed colour in one-swipe for subtle to dramatic looks.
SHOP QUIET GRUNGE
Go grunge with 90s M·A·C essentials, including Lip Pencil in Stone.

TREND TRY-ON TECHNOLOGY

WATCH THE
QUIET GRUNGE TUTORIAL
DIRECTLY ON YOU
Use our award-winning tool to learn how to
create the Quiet Grunge look with instructions
virtually demonstrated directly on your face by
a real M·A·C Artist.
“THIS GENERATION IS TAKING THE SPIRIT
AND REBELLION OF GRUNGE BUT MAKING
IT RIGHT FOR THEM.”

—TERRY BARBER, M·A·C CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MAKEUP ARTISTRY

Cool-toned neutrals bring the edge to a Quiet Grunge look.
The ultimate grunge lip combo: Lip Pencil in Stone and M·A·Cximal Sleek Satin Lipstick in Blankety.
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Lip Pencil
CA $32.00
A pencil in a wide range of colours designed for shaping, lining or filling in lips.
M·A·CXIMAL SLEEK SATIN LIPSTICK
CA $33.00
A sleek satin lipstick with full-coverage, pigment-rich colour in a comfortable formula that hydrates lips for eight hours.

HOW TO GET THE QUIET GRUNGE TREND

LOOK 1: Bring the edge with cool-toned neutrals for the ultimate soft-grunge makeup look.

  1. Prep and hydrate your complexion with Hyper Real SerumizTM Skin Balancing Hydration Serum.
  2. SEven skin tone with Studio Radiance Serum-Powered¡TM Foundation, then swipe Studio Radiance 24HR Luminous Lift Concealer where desired.
Hyper Real Serumizer™ Serum-Moisturizer Hybrid
CA $60.00
A serum-moisturizer hybrid that visibly reduces dark spots and the appearance of pores, hydrates, retexturizes and strengthens the skin barrier for a petal-smooth, even canvas with lit-from-within radiance.
Studio Radiance Serum-Powered™ Foundation
CA $62.00
A buildable, weightless, 24-hour hydrating foundation that smooths texture, evens tone, and blurs the look of pores.​
STUDIO RADIANCE 24HR LUMINOUS LIFT CONCEALER
CA $44.00
A weightless, radiant concealer provides 24-hour medium buildable coverage, +90% immediate hydration* and diminishes the look of dark circles over time by 18%**.
  1. Line upper and lower lash lines using Eye Kohl in Feline, smudging out with a 231S Small Shader Brush.
  2. Layer the shade Showstopper from the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite overtop liner, blending edges. Then, sweep the shade Power Mode through creases.
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Eye Kohl
CA $31.00
An eye liner with rich colour and a silky smooth, matte/pearl finish.
231 Synthetic Small Shader Brush
CA $32.00
A pro-quality brush that lets you apply and move around colours like an expert.
Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite
CA $42.00
A smoky-toned six-pan eye shadow palette with pigment packed colour in one-swipe for subtle to dramatic looks.
  1. Line lips using Lip Pencil in Stone, then smooth on M·A·Cximal Sleek Satin Lipstick in Blankety.
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Lip Pencil
CA $32.00
A pencil in a wide range of colours designed for shaping, lining or filling in lips.
M·A·CXIMAL SLEEK SATIN LIPSTICK
CA $33.00
A sleek satin lipstick with full-coverage, pigment-rich colour in a comfortable formula that hydrates lips for eight hours.
Smudge out your black liner with cool-toned eye shadows from the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite.
Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite
CA $42.00
A smoky-toned six-pan eye shadow palette with pigment packed colour in one-swipe for subtle to dramatic looks.
Embrace an edgy blurred lip look with Lip Pencil in Greige and M·A·Cximal Sleek Satin Lipstick in Blankety.
(2)
Lip Pencil
CA $32.00
A pencil in a wide range of colours designed for shaping, lining or filling in lips.
M·A·CXIMAL SLEEK SATIN LIPSTICK
CA $33.00
A sleek satin lipstick with full-coverage, pigment-rich colour in a comfortable formula that hydrates lips for eight hours.

LOOK 2: Bring back 90s grunge makeup with soft, cool-toned shades from lids to lips.

  1. Prep and hydrate your complexion with Hyper Real SerumizerTMSkin Balancing Hydration Serum.
  2. Even skin tone with Studio Radiance Serum-PoweredTM Foundation.
  3. Tightline lash lines using Eye Kohl in Feline, gently smudging with fingertips.
Hyper Real Serumizer™ Serum-Moisturizer Hybrid
CA $60.00
A serum-moisturizer hybrid that visibly reduces dark spots and the appearance of pores, hydrates, retexturizes and strengthens the skin barrier for a petal-smooth, even canvas with lit-from-within radiance.
Studio Radiance Serum-Powered™ Foundation
CA $62.00
A buildable, weightless, 24-hour hydrating foundation that smooths texture, evens tone, and blurs the look of pores.​
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Eye Kohl
CA $31.00
An eye liner with rich colour and a silky smooth, matte/pearl finish.
  1. Layer the shade Showstopper from the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite overtop liner, sweeping to outer corners for soft definition. Then, apply the shade Clear History to inner corners.
  2. Line lips using Lip Pencil in Greige, then smooth on M·A·Cximal Sleek Satin Lipstick in Blankety.
Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette: Encrypted Kryptonite
CA $42.00
A smoky-toned six-pan eye shadow palette with pigment packed colour in one-swipe for subtle to dramatic looks.
(2)
Lip Pencil
CA $32.00
A pencil in a wide range of colours designed for shaping, lining or filling in lips.
M·A·CXIMAL SLEEK SATIN LIPSTICK
CA $33.00
A sleek satin lipstick with full-coverage, pigment-rich colour in a comfortable formula that hydrates lips for eight hours.
EXPLORE MORE M·A·C TREND

HOW TO GET THE SOFT GRUNGE MAKEUP LOOK

September 16, 2024 by Cat Quinn

 

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